diff --git a/.github/workflows/README.md b/.github/workflows/README.md
index ff51f5276..e4adb1f83 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/README.md
+++ b/.github/workflows/README.md
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@ This document describes the CI/CD workflows for OSPOS.
 
 ### Docker Images
 - Build and push `opensourcepos` Docker image for multiple architectures (linux/amd64, linux/arm64)
-- On master: tagged with version and `latest`
-- On other branches: tagged with version only
+- On `master`: tagged `master` and `<sha>`
+- On other branches: tagged `<branch>-<sha>`
+- On a semver tag (e.g. `3.4.2`): tagged `<version>` and `latest`
+- The version number is never stamped onto `master`/branch builds — it only appears on tag releases
 - Pushed to Docker Hub
 
 ### Releases
@@ -39,10 +41,10 @@ The `GITHUB_TOKEN` is automatically provided by GitHub Actions.
 
 ## Workflow Triggers
 
-- **Push to master** - Runs build, Docker push (with `latest` tag), and release
-- **Push to other branches** - Runs build and Docker push (version tag only)
-- **Push tags** - Runs build and Docker push (version tag only)
-- **Pull requests** - Runs build only (PHPUnit tests run in parallel via phpunit.yml)
+- **Push to master** - Runs build, Docker push (`master` + `<sha>` tags), and creates/updates the `unstable` release
+- **Push to other branches** - Runs build and Docker push (`<branch>-<sha>` tag)
+- **Push a semver tag** (e.g. `3.4.2`) - Runs build and Docker push (`<version>` + `latest` tags)
+- **Pull requests** - Runs build only (PHPUnit tests run in parallel via phpunit.yml); no Docker push
 
 ## Existing Workflows
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-release.yml b/.github/workflows/build-release.yml
index 23774385e..6f8efe6e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-release.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ name: Build and Release
 
 on:
   push:
+    branches:
+      - '**'
+    tags:
+      - '[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+'
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - master
@@ -154,11 +158,19 @@ jobs:
       - name: Determine Docker tags
         id: tags
         run: |
-          BRANCH=$(echo "${GITHUB_REF#refs/heads/}" | tr '/' '_')
-          if [ "$BRANCH" = "master" ]; then
-            echo "tags=${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}/opensourcepos:${{ needs.build.outputs.version-tag }},${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}/opensourcepos:master" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          REGISTRY="${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}/opensourcepos"
+          SHA="${{ needs.build.outputs.short-sha }}"
+          if [[ "$GITHUB_REF" == refs/tags/* ]]; then
+            VERSION="${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}"
+            echo "tags=${REGISTRY}:${VERSION},${REGISTRY}:latest" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          elif [[ "$GITHUB_REF" == refs/heads/master ]]; then
+            echo "tags=${REGISTRY}:master,${REGISTRY}:${SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           else
-            echo "tags=${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}/opensourcepos:${{ needs.build.outputs.version-tag }}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            BRANCH="${GITHUB_REF#refs/heads/}"
+            BRANCH="$(printf '%s' "$BRANCH" | LC_ALL=C tr -c 'A-Za-z0-9_.-' '_')"
+            BRANCH="${BRANCH:0:$((128 - ${#SHA} - 1))}"
+            [[ "$BRANCH" == [-.]* ]] && BRANCH="_${BRANCH:1}"
+            echo "tags=${REGISTRY}:${BRANCH}-${SHA}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
         env:
           GITHUB_REF: ${{ github.ref }}